A man accused of trying to steal a horse from a pasture was arrested in Clay County, according to WCBI.

Thankfully, the horse slipped away from the accused thieves and ran.

19-year-old Xavier Cannon is charged with livestock theft. He is the alleged mastermind behind the crime.

Sheriff Eddie Scott told WCBI that Cannon saw the horse recruited two teenagers and another man to help him load the horse into a trailer this past Thursday.

The horse was in a pasture off Daracott Road.

The sheriff said that the thieves allegedly walked the horse down the road but it got away from them and ran back to its pasture.

Soon after this happened, the owner of the horse came back and questioned the men. He noticed the broken lock on his gate. He called deputies and Cannon was arrested.

The teenagers’ identities have not been released due to their age. They will go to youth court for the crime. The other person involved was not charged.

According to Sheriff Scott, the case will be turned over to the grand jury.

Cannon’s bond was set at $10,000.